Red Zone - 2
A novel
2
A private letter to the skipper of Hyperion.
25.60.945 JD
(July 12th, 2299 OC)
Hi Mike,
As your commanding officer, I had to send the orders along couched in all the usual blah blah blah. As your friend, I'm sending along with this short message. Despite how it may look, you aren't being shoved out of an airlock. The command of Hyperion is the most prestigious honor imaginable, and I can honestly say, I envy you. As your friend, I can say that I feel your pain. You told me you are less than an engineer these days, you are a manager. That's being excessively modest: you architected this vessel's creation. From designs and ideas to a real working ship. You complained that she's not ready yet, and that's exactly what makes you the only man for the job: to get her battle-ready in a short time. You pointed out you aren't a combat commander, and that's even better: everyone is earnestly hoping that there is no fighting. Much better you who loves the ship and doesn't so much want the metaskin[1] scraped than some hotshot who has grown up on stories of Kumar at Tycho, or the Trojan Array.
Let me point to the highlights of your orders: you aren't to fire, even if fired upon, except to preserve the ship. You aren't too close to combat range, except when ordered. You aren't to land troops on Mars without specific orders. There are no loopholes in the remaining cases: Phobos and Deimos are also off-limits, as is offensive action to take out anything at one of the Lagrange points. Ceres is a different matter: if the Dominion attempts to reach out, do what you must.
These orders are for your protection, we want it to be crystal clear that we didn't start the fire. You wanted my thoughts on the ambassador being assigned to you, knowing that he could be placed in overall command at any time. I don't have anything really to add, Jim's a good guy, and he's not going to do anything rash. If you need help, lean heavily on your TO,[2] Gabrielle is the best and most precise tac we have. She simulates out as being among the best. I know you don't place much trust in that, but I trust her and picked the best people. I know you have utter faith in your engineering crew, well, I have utter faith in the command crew I've picked for you. If you spend the time to get in sync with them and ramp up on empathic unity, it will be an unbeatable combination.
The thing to remember is that you have everyone in the Republics together behind you. This is a case of standing as one. The Dominion has been shackling our commercial growth on Mars, stealing our cargo and trade [3], arresting anyone who is you to the Republic, and yes, I say The Republic, no plurals. Meanwhile, their corporate chamber just issued more laws that encumber the use of our technology and require that everything is repaired there on Mars, where they can lift anything, they need. We've ignored these acts because peace is important, but what they did to our diplomats on HJ, can't be allowed to be repeated. Even though I haven't been given all the details, but it was bad.
We have people on Mars, they have placed their lives with ours, and it is essential to get the rookies to see sense, you know it, I do too. So that's why I've picked the most sensible guy I know to command. You've got some time still in Jove orbit, but not long. These things move fast. So, trust the old man.[4] The eye is watching and never blinks.[5]
Kap (Admiral Kapilo X. Gordon, Commander Fleet of the Republic)
3
This message is to cover important changes to your Dominion Liberties Status Account. Please read this carefully, as these changes take effect immediately and for all other Liberties holders on Mars.
Effectively 25.61.050 Liberties[6] balances accrued by predecessors and inherited by you will be discounted by 10% on all requests made for you or your descendants. Requests associated with the predecessor will, of course, be honored in full.
Effective 25.61.050 a new schedule of off-world transit Liberties will apply, requests for transit are not affected, but requests for emigration status to the Garden World[7] that are not filed before 2.560.900 will be. The request approval will carry an expedited tariff as detailed in the schedule.
Effective 25.61.100 Liberties payments will be adjusted for activities according to the new schedule. Activities performed but not paid by that time will be compensated on the new schedule.
Effective immediately all Liberties balances will be credited JD +60 rather than JD +50.
Effective immediately all requests for economic activity north of 70° S will no longer be honored. All Liberties will be refunded JD +60.
Effective immediately all insolvency relief on your account is terminated. Payments must resume JD +10 of this message.
Should you wish to cancel your present Liberties contracts and renegotiate, you may do so without loss of Liberties, and without penalty, but there is no assurance that present rates will be maintained, or that new contracts will be accepted.
At DLCI, it is our pleasure to help you reach your dreams.
Dominion Liberties Creditory Institution
Date: 25.60.987
(August 24th, 2299 OC)
4
To: All Law Enforcement Personnel India Union, Mars
In accordance with Title 20-227 of the Union Code[8], you are hereby required to take or retake into custody during the day or night and detain Ka, an alias without a known person in accordance, with Case Latahs CR05-227, who is alleged to have engaged in violent sedition against the Union, the domestic colonial government, Mars.
By Authority of:
The Honourable Sanjay Guthra
This warrant shall be sufficient to detain the fugitive, or anyone suspected of being the fugitive, or aiding and abetting the fugitive, or being in communication with the fugitive, pending their appearance in High Court. Those detained under this warrant shall be held without bond, bail, or release, and their rights to avoid questioning are suspended per Title 27-313 (The SECURE ACT), until such time as it is replaced or withdrawn by a Bench Warrant, or another writ, or until Withdrawn by the Security Service.
Dated 25.60.995
(August 31st, 2299 OC)
[1] Meta-materials are materials that bend or manipulate light. In this time period, they are used in a huge variety of ways. The meta-prefix in this novel almost always means this kind of material, rather than other uses.
[2] Tactical Officer.
[3] Trade Secrets.
[4] Jupiter
[5] The Red Spot is used as a metaphor for the Government of Jupiter.
[6] Liberties are the permissions that soldiers have. Liberties are credits to avoid government regulations, engage in special actions, and so on. They would be a currency, except individuals can't trade them with each other. They work more like airline miles do: given at will, taken at whim.
[7] “Garden World” is a planet where Earth normative creatures can inhabit. While the is only one at the present time, the ideology is that there will be more eventually. The difference between Earth and the Garden World is subtle. Humans inhabit from deep in the mantle, too high in the air. Garden World is the range where humans are comfortable without some kind of life support.
[8] Rules of Indian Republic.